Wire drawing apparatus

ABSTRACT

A wire drawing apparatus has a plurality of vertically spaded wire drawing dies arranged in a plurality of drawing stages positioned in side-by-side relationship. Drive rollers are positioned respectively above each of the dies to draw the wire vertically upwardly therethrough and additional rollers are employed to change the direction of wire between drawing stages so that the wire emerging from the top of one drawing stage enters at the bottom of the next drawing stage. The dies are self-centering under the action of the upwardly moving wire.

United States Patent Henrich 1 May 23,1972

[$4] W'IRE DRAWING APPARATUS [72] Inventor: Werner Henrlch, 6349 Horbach (Dill kreis), Am Wachtgeipfel, Germany [22] Filed: Jan. 8, 1970 [21] Appl.No.: 1,370

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Sept. 12, 1969 Germany ..P 19 46 221.6

[52] US. Cl ..72l278, 72/285, 72/289, 72/467 [51] Int. Cl. ..B2lc 1/04, B216 3/00 [58] Field oISearch ..72/278, 279, 281, 282, 285, 72/287, 288, 289, 473, 467

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,370,973 3/1945 Lang...

[(20,067 8/1936 Busey ..72/467 2,199,496 5/1940 Johnson ..72/281 2,138,201 1l/l938 Whittaker ..72/281 1,693,224 11/1928 Darmstadt et a1. 72/285 2,370,806 3/1945 MacDonald et al. 72/278 2,199,494 5/1940 Johnson 72/ 279 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 655,569 7/1951 Great Britain ..72/2 79 Primary Examiner-Charles W. Lanham Assistant ExaminerMichael J. Keenan Attorney-Edmund M. .laskiewicz ABSTRACT 4 Clairm, 1 Drawing Figure PATENTEDmza m2 3.664.169

r l w J r 4 m 3 VT @Gj INVENTOR WERNER HENRICH ATTORNEY WIRE DRAWING APPARATUS The present invention relates to an apparatus for drawing wire through dies by means of rollers, more particularly, to a vertical arrangment of the dies and rollers and the self-centering of the dies during the wire drawing operation.

A conventional form of a wire drawing machine is provided with sets of rollers or pulleys with each set comprising several rollers of various diameters fixed onto a common shaft. The wire travels between the sets from the roller of smaller diameter to the roller of the next larger diameter while passing through dies positioned between the rollers. The progressively increasing roller diameters are so selected to compensate for the elongation of the wire during the drawing operation so that each roller can be driven at the same rotary or angular speed. The peripheral speeds of the rollers are thus progressively increased as the linear speed of the wire increases as the result of successive drawing operations.

This known arrangement of rollers and dies has several disadvantages. The individual rollers of a set of rollers having progressively increasing diameters wear at different rates during the drawing process. Since a set of rollers is mounted upon a common shaft it is necessary that the entire shaft be replaced or repaired when a single roller wears to such an extent that it can no longer be used. The handling and repair of a complete set of rollers to correct a single roller results in considerable waste in both labor and material.

Another disadvantage is that the wire between roller sets is always at an angle to the rollers and dies since the wire must be displaced laterally as it travels between the individual rollers of the sets. Since the wire enters and leaves each roller at an angle there results a unilateral and non-uniform wear of the rollers. In addition there is a non-uniform wear of the dies since the wire is always passing through a die at a slight angle from the perpendicular. Such non-uniform wear of the dies is particularly disadvantageous since wire drawing dies, particularly dies used for the thin drawing of wire, are extremely expensive.

A further disadvantage is that the above arrangement does not permit relatively high drawing speeds because of the additional traction forces acting on the bearings of the shafts upon which the rollers are mounted.

[t is therefore the principal object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved arrangement for drawing of wire by means of rollers through dies of a wire drawing machine.

It is another object of the present invention to eliminate non-uniform wear of the rollers and dies of a wire drawing machine.

According to one aspect of the present invention a wire drawing apparatus is provided with a plurality of vertically spaced wire drawing dies. A plurality of drive rollers are individually positioned above the wire drawing dies to move the wire vertically upwardly through the dies. The dies are constructed so as to be self-centering as a result of the vertical upward movement of the wire therethrough. Where the tension on the wire decreases the die may be dropped under the force of gravity from a recessed abutment within which the die is seated as a result of the upward movement of the wire therethrough. The wire drawing dies are arranged in a number of drawing stages which are positioned in side-by-side relationship in such a manner that the wire is drawn vertically upwardly through the dies of one stage and then changed in direction so as to be drawn vertically upwardly through a subsequent stage.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent upon reference to the accompanying description when taken in conjunction with the drawing, which is exemplary, which illustrates schematically the arrangement of the dies and rollers according to the present invention with the dies being in vertical section.

Proceeding next to the drawing a specific embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

A wire 1 which is to be drawn down to a predetermined diameter is passed through a wire drawing die 2 which abuts against an abutment 3 formed with a recess in its lower face within which the die 2 is seated during the wire drawing operation. The abutment 3 is provided with a bore 4 of such a diameter which permits lateral play of the wire but is sufficiently small so that the die 2 cannot enter through the bore 4. As the wire emerges from the die 2 it is wound in a single loop around a roller or pulley 5 which is driven by a suitable control mechanism, not shown in the drawing, so as to pull the wire 1 through the die 2.

As long as the roller 5 is exerting a vertical upward pull on the wire 1 the die 2 will be seated against the abutment 3 as shown in the drawing. However, where the tension on the wire 1 decreases below a predetermined amount or if the roller 5 does not exert any pull on the wire 1, the die 2 will then drop downwardly under the force of gravity as illustrated by the position of the die 2' in the upper right hand corner of the drawing. The die 2' will be spaced at a distance from the abutment 3' and, because of gravity, the die 2' will align the wire precisely in the vertical direction.

When sufficient tension is again exerted on the wire 1 in an upward direction, the die 2 will be moved upwardly against abutment 3 and will be centered automatically in the position as shown for the die 2 and abutment 3.

Wire drawing die assemblies 10 and 11 are positioned vertically above die 2 and abutment 3. The die assembly 10 comprises a die 10' and abutment 10''. in a similar manner the die assembly 11 comprises die ll and abutment 11''. These die assemblies are similar to the die 2 and abutment 3 except that the diameters of the dies are progressively decreased.

A drive roller 12 is positioned after the die assembly 10 and a drive roller 13 is arranged subsequent to the die assembly 11 with the wire being looped once about each of these drive pulleys. The drive pulleys 5, l2 and 13 are each individually driven.

The die 2, die assembly 10 and die assembly II which are vertically arranged constitute a wire drawing stage. As the wire is pulled through the die 1! by the drive roller 13 it is passed over a roller 14 which changes the direction of the wire so that the wire now moves vertically downwardly to pass around rollers 15 and 16 so as to enter a subsequent wire drawing stage in a vertically upward direction. The second drawing stage comprises dies 17, 18 and 2',3 with the wire being drawn upwardly through each of the dies by the drive rollers 19 and 20. As the wire emerges from die assembly 2,3' it passes over a roller 21 from which the wire may travel to a subsequent wire drawing stage or may be wound around a drum by suitable winding apparatus.

The rollers 5, l2, l3, 19, 20 and 21 are all individually driven by a control mechanism which compensates for the elongation of the wire in the individual wire drawing dies so that these rollers all rotate at progressively increasing speeds. When these rollers are all of the same diameter then it is ap parent that they will be rotated at different speeds. All of the rollers used in this wire drawing arrangement, including the rollers to change the direction of travel of the wire, may all be of the same diameter.

Thus it is apparent that the present invention has disclosed a wire drawing apparatus wherein the wire is fed in a vertically upward direction into dies which can be automatically centered in response to the movement of the wire. With this arrangement the wire will no longer pass through the dies at an angle and, accordingly, the useful operating life of the dies is substantially increased. In addition, the wire is no longer curled or damaged on one side thereof by a die which has experienced non-uniform wear. The use of individual driven rollers enables the replacement of separate rollers when a roller has been worn sufficiently to warrant replacement.

It is understood that this invention is susceptible to modification in order to adapt it to different usages and conditions and, accordingly, it is desired to comprehend such modifications within the invention as may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim I. in a wire drawing apparatus, a plurality of vertically spaced wire drawing dies to define a wire drawing stage, a plurality of drive rollers positioned respectively above each of said dies to draw the wire vertically upwardly therethrough, there being a single drive roller between successive dies and all of said drive rollers being of the same diameter, means for driving said drive rollers at different speeds to compensate for elongation of the wire during the drawing process, means for automatically centering said dies responsive to lateral movement of the wire passing therethrough during the wire drawing operation, a plurality of wire drawing stages positioned in sideby-side relationship, and roller means for changing the direction of wire emerging from the uppermost die of one stage to enter the lowermost die of a subsequent stage so that the wire is moved vertically upwardly through the dies of the stages.

2. in a wire drawing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said centering means comprises an abutment having a downwardly directed recess in a face thereof, said die being seated in said recess by the upward movement of the wire therethrough, said recess being larger than the die so that the die is moveable laterally therein.

3. In a wire drawing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the diameters of said drive rollers and direction changing rollers are equal.

4. In a wire drawing apparatus as claimed in claim 3 and comprising means for adjusting individually the speed of the drive rollers.

t t l t '8 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3 564 169 Dated May 23 1 972 Inventor(s) Werner Henrich It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

(72) Inventor: Werner Henrich 6349 HBrbach (Dillkrels) Am Wachtgipfel, West Germany Signed and sealed this 31st day of October 1972.

SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR.

ROBERT GOT'ISCHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. In a wire drawing apparatus, a plurality of vertically spaced wire drawing dies to define a wire drawing stage, a plurality of drive rollers positioned respectively above each of said dies to draw the wire vertically upwardly therethrough, there being a single drive roller between successive dies and all of said drive rollers being of the same diameter, means for driving said drive rollers at different speeds to compensate for elongation of the wire during the drawing process, means for automatically centering said dies responsive to lateral movement of the wire passing therethrough during the wire drawing operation, a plurality of wire drawing stages positioned in side-by-side relationship, and roller means for changing the direction of wire emerging from the uppermost die of one stage to enter the lowermost die of a subsequent stage so that the wire is moved vertically upwardly through the dies of the stages.
 2. In a wire drawing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said centering means comprises an abutment having a downwardly directed recess in a face thereof, said die being seated in said recess by the upward movement of the wire therethrough, said recess being larger than the die so that the die is moveable laterally therein.
 3. In a wire drawing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the diameters of said drive rollers and direction changing rollers are equal.
 4. In a wire drawing apparatus as claimed in claim 3 and comprising means for adjusting individually the speed of the drive rollers. 